Centrifugal machine



Feb. 3. '1925. A1,524,690

. W. C. COLEMAN CENTRIFUGAL MACHINE Filed May 28,1923

/ l f4 5 2/ 4 y 32 Patented Feb. 3, 1925.

WILLIAM C. COLEMAN, 0F WICHITA, KANSAS.

CENTRIFUGAL MACHINE.

Application med May 2s, 1923. serial No. 641,970.

T0 ZZ 107mm t may concern:

Be it known that I, IVILLIAMC. COLEMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at IVichita, in the county of Sedgwick and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Centrifugal Machines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a centrifugal machine or separator and the primary object thereof is to provide an inexpensive, easily constructed, efficient machine for separating out materials.

The machine is illustrated as particularly applicable for use in separating minerals from ore pulp or sludge and the invention consists in certain novel parts and combinations of parts, all of which will be referred to hereinafter, reference being had to the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Y Fig. 1 is a vertical, longitudinal, sectional view through a centrifugal machine constrictedin accordance with my invention, an

Fig. 2 is a similar vie-w of a slightly modified form.

The invention is shown as comprising two concentric rotors for each unit and the device is so constructed that one or more units may be employed. If a second unit is used, it will receive the material from the first unit whereas if one unit alone is used, it will discharge directly to a chute or waste provided for it.

In order to obtain a .comprehensive understanding of the invention, reference should be had to Fig. l in which 1 designates the outer hollow rotor having a circumferential wall, a bottom 2 and a re movable cover 3. The bottom 2 is provided with a central opening 4 surrounded by an upstanding collar 5. The space adjacent to the inner surface of the circumferential wall constitutes a mercury chamber or separating chamber and when the machine is in operation, this space is taken up by the annular mercury column 6 which may extend from the bottom of the outer rotor to the top thereof, there being a baffle and packing" ring 7l inan offset portion 8 of the rotor; 1.

The cover plate 3 of the rotor 1 is yprovided with a central opening 9 surrounded by a collar, by means of Vwhich. a hollow shaft 10 may be attached to drive the rotor.

Extending through the hollow shaft 10 is a hollow shaft 11, fastened at its lower end to a collar 12 on a spider 13,`integral with the bottom 14 of the inner rotor l5.

The inner rotor 15 has a circumferentialA wall 16 and a top wall 17 provided with a central opening 18 larger in diameter than the pipe 11. The inner rotor is also provided with a mercury chamber in which a body of mercury 19 is provided when the inner rotor is rotating, it being obvious, of course, that when the machine is at rest, the mercu-ry will gravitate torthe bottom.V The inner rotor is also provided with a depend,

ing flange 20, extending below the bottom thereof, as will be elearly'seen in Fig. 1.

rlhe bottom 14 of thel inner rotor isprovided with a drain port 21, which can be normally closed by a'screw plug or other suitable means.` This is to drain Voff the mercury containing 'the metal so that the metal can be recovered.

If a single unit isused, the action will be as follows: Y

The ore pulp or sludge will pass into the inner rotor through the pipe 11. Centrifugal force will throw the material against the annular ring of mercury 19, where some of the metal will be taken up by the mer cury. The material willpass out through the opening 18 and pass through the space between the inner rotor and the mercury column 6, where it will be` further subjected to the action of` the mercury .so that the mercury mayta'ke up whatevermetal was carried over from` the inner rotor. The de-metalized sludge willthen pass through the opening 4.

Some ores give up theirrmetal slowly so I may find it necessary to multiply the units. In that event a second rotor 22 may be provided in series with the first. It has a i bottom 23 with a central opening 24 corresponding to the one designated4 in the rotor 1. An inner rotor 25 corresponding to the rotor 15yis provided within the outer rotor and it is 'connected to the rotor 15 by a tubular connection 26, which may be screwed in the bosses 27 and28. The connection 26 is hollow to permit a valve rod 29 to pass through both inner rotors to provide a valve for the opening 2l. rEhe inner rotor 25 can be drained by taking out thescrew plug 30. The material will be fed from the outer rotor l into the inner rotor 25 through the opening l and the feed pipe 31 connected to the collar 5. The action of the material in the second rotor will be substantially like that in the first. The two units and the cover plate 3 can all be secured together by suitable fastening means as, for example, the bolts 32, and when the units are arranged as shown in Fig. l, the outer rotors l and 22 will rotate in unison and the inner rotors l5 and 25 will rotate in unison. The two sets of rotors can be driven independently by any suitable means and at different speeds either in the same or different directions. i K In Fig. 2 the machine is shown as ar ranged for a single unit. In that event it will correspond to the rotors 1 and 15 with the removable plug 32 substituted for the elongated valve stem 29. ln all other respects the construction shown in F ig. 2 corresponds to the construction of the top unit in Fig. l.

F rom the foregoing it will be apparent that the material is subjected to a double action in that it is acted upon first by the inner body of mercury and then receives further treatment in passing over the second body of mercury, there Vbeing sufficient time element provided to recover practically all of the metal in the ore.

It will be obvious that in the construction shown means is provided so that in the event that the mercury in the inner member should flour and pass out with the sludge or pulp, it will be taken up by the mercury in the outer member.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is:

l. A separator comprising a cylindrical inner rotor and a cylindrical outer rotor in spaced relation, a tube carried by the outer rotor and communicating with the inner rotor at the bottom thereof, the tube extend` ing through an opening in the inner rotor 4of greater diameter than the tube, the inner rotor and outer rotor having bodies of mercury on the inner face of their cylindrical wall, the inner rotor communicating with the outer rotor through the opening through which the tube extends and the outer rotor having an outlet in its bottom.

2. A separator comprising a cylindrical inner rotor and a cylindrical outer rotor in spaced relation, a tube carried by the outer rotor and communicating with the inner rotor at the bottom thereof, the tube extending'through an opening in the inner rotor of greater diameter than the tube, the inner rotor and outer rotor having bodies of inercury on the inner face of their cylindrical wall, the inner rotor communicating with the outer rotor through the opening through which the tube extends and the outer rotor having an outlet in its bottom, a tube extending from the bottom of the outer rotor, a second inner rotor into which the tube discharges and a second outer rotor in spaced relation with the second inner rotor, the two outer rotors being secured together.

8. A separator comprising a cylindrical inner rotor and a cylindrical outer rotor in spaced relation, a tube carried by the outer rotor and communicating with the inner rotor at the bottom thereof, the tube eX- tending through an opening in the inner rotor of greater diameter than the tube, the inner rotor and outer rotor having bodies of mercury on the inner face of their cylindrical wall, the inner rotor communicating with the outer rotor through the opening through which the tube extends and the outer rotor having an outlet in its bottom, a tube extending from the bottom of the outer rotor, a second inner rotor into which the tube discharges and a second outer rotor in spaced relation with the second inner rotor, the two outer rotors being secured together, and a plug for normally opening and closing in the bottom of the two rotors.

4. A centrifugal separator comprising two cylindrical. concentric communicating rotors, one within the other, each having a body of mercury for the inner surface of the cylindrical wall, a tube discharging into the central portion of the inner rotor at the bottom thereof, the tube passing through an opening' in the' rotor of greater diameterl thanthe tube, the bottom 'of the inner rotor being spaced from the bottoni of the outer rotor to provide a sludge space, the central portion of the outer rotor having a discharge opening.

A centrifugal separator comprising two cylindrical concentric communicating rotors, one within the other, each having a body of mercury for the inner surface of the cylindrical wall, a tube discharging into the central portion of the inner rotor at the bottom thereof, the tube passing through an opening in the rotor of greater' diameter than the tube, the bottom of the inner rotor being spaced from the bottom of the outer rotor to provide a sludge space, the central portion of the outer rotor having a discharge opening' and a plug normally opening and closing in the bottom of the inner rotor in line with the outlet opening of the outer rotor.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

l/VILLIAM C. COLEMAN. 

